Related Articles

U.S. President Barack Obama reportedly is considering supplying weapons to the Syrian opposition, a move the United States has resisted because of fears the arms could end up in the hands of al-Qaida-linked Islamist militants fighting alongside rebel forces.

Senior White House officials say the president has not yet made a decision, but has asked his national security team to identify ways the United States can increase its assistance. So far, that aid has been limited to non-lethal support.

In Syria Wednesday, activists reported several rockets fell on a Damascus neighborhood, a day after a wave of insurgency-related violence hit the Syrian capital and a northern border crossing into Turkey.

It is not clear what U.S. equipment is under consideration for the Syrian rebels, who have requested antitank weapons and surface-to-air missiles.

Suppling weapons would bring the U.S. in line with Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are already arming the rebels, and with Britain and France, which want to lift an EU arms embargo on Syria to aid insurgents seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

While U.S. aid for the opposition "has been on an upward trajectory," officials say efforts are still being explored to achieve a political solution to the Syrian crisis, which has stretched on for more than two years.

Rebel fighters of the Syrian Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) talk in the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo, May 9, 2013.

A view shows damaged buildings and debris in the Khaldiyeh district of Homs, May 9, 2013.

Syrian children play near a water distribution point in the Almyassar central district of Aleppo, May 8, 2013.

A Free Syrian Army fighter holds his weapon in Raqqa province, east Syria, May 6, 2013.

A Free Syrian Army fighter stands behind a pile of sandbags in Raqqa province, east Syria, May 6, 2013.

Free Syrian Army fighters prepare to head toward the front line in the al-Ziyabiya area, Damascus, May 5, 2013.

An armored vehicle is seen parked as Free Syrian Army fighters gather on a street in the refugee camp of Yarmouk, near Damascus, May 5, 2013.

This image taken from video obtained from the Ugarit News shows smoke and fire filling the the skyline after an Israeli airstrike, Damascus, May 5, 2013.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows damaged buildings wrecked by an Israeli airstrike in Damascus, May 5, 2013.

This image provided by ENN shows a protester with a sign reading "If America does not know who used the chemical weapons, so it could be flying saucers from another planet," Sarmada, Idlib, Syria, May 3, 2013.

A man reacts after his grandson was injured during what activists said was shelling by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Raqqa province, Syria, May 2, 2013.

Residents inspect a damaged building that was shelled by forces activists say were loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Raqqa province, Syria, May 2, 2013.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visiting the Umayyad Electrical Station, Damascus, Syria, May 1, 2013.

President Obama said Tuesday he needs more facts about chemical weapons use in Syria before committing to stronger action against Assad's government.

Obama has called the use of chemical weapons in Syria a "game changer," but refused to give details on what options he would consider.

In a letter to the U.S. president Tuesday, the commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army complained that "Assad is not taking your carefully phrased condemnations as warnings, but as loopholes," which justify the continued "small-scale" use of chemical weapons.

General Salim Idriss underlined his plea for U.S. military assistance, saying the FSA under his command has "neither the training nor the equipment to counter the effects of Assad's chemical weapons or to destroy them."

He also said weapons of mass destruction would "not be welcome" in a "future, free Syria."

Last week, the White House told lawmakers it believes "with varying degrees of confidence" that the Assad government has used sarin gas against rebels. Britain and France have asserted that such evidence exists.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Syria to allow an immediate and unconditional investigation into the allegations.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari denied his government has used chemical weapons, instead accusing rebels of using them.

Mixed-race comedian Trevor Noah, who is loved for his edgy jibes about race and language, is taking the helm from Jon Stewart at The Daily Show in US More

This forum has been closed.

Comment Sorting

Comments

by: Anonymous

May 01, 2013 3:46 PM

Qur'an:8:7 "Allah wished to confirm the truth by His words: 'Wipe the infidels out to the last.'"Qur'an:8:39 "So, fight them till all opposition ends and the only religion is Islam."Qur'an:8:59 "The infidels should not think that they can get away from us. Prepare against them whatever arms and weaponry you can muster so that you may terrorize them. They are your enemy and Allah's enemy."

by: JKF from: Ottawa, Canada

May 01, 2013 1:02 PM

The murderous civil war in Syria needs to be brought to an end. The casualty rates (death+injured) are increasing at an exponential rate; the UN and NGO are overwhelmed and can no longer cope with their humanitarian activities, same applies to neighbouring countries with large numbers of Syrian refugees. Everyday more and more extremists are showing up on both sides, including the Hezbollah terrorist organization. The fact that chem weapons have been used, it is not material as to which side used them, just shows that the conflict has entered a new level of depravity. Peace negotiations have failed, Assad and his chronies refuse to step down. It is clear that the Sunni majority is the underdogs, and they are taking most of the civilian casualties in the conflict, at the hands of a heavily armed dictatorship and their minority supporters. The dictatorship has been using large weapons in civilian areas, causing huge massacres through the use of scuds, artillery bombardments, and aerial bombardments; they have very much turned into rubble most of the Sunni cities/villages and neighborhoods. Very remenicent of what occured to the Sunni neighborhoods in Lebanon, at the hands of Hezbollah and also with the previous Assad support. Providing defensive weapons, is a high risk strategy unless it is well controlled, but even under the highest controls the risk can't be reduced to zero. The biggest problem, related to the use/ transfer out of Syria/ transport/ vanishment, will remain to be resolved, and that is the chem/bio weapon facilities/stockpiles/local ready use munitions lockups/ and their delivery systems. Foreign power "boots on the ground", in a civil war, is rarely a successful strategy. The realistic option is the gradual degradation of the biggest and most powerful force in Syria, Assad and his chronies, so that humanitarian areas/corridors are created to save the Sunni muslim population, and continue the degradation until they are forced to reach a negotiated settlement. Like the Western intervention model in the Balkan civil wars. Followed by a UN peace making/keeping international force; and the cantonment and destruction of all large weapons, including WMD; and the disarmament and repatriation of all foreign combatants out of Syria; creation of an interim Syrian federative state, to ensure that inter-ethnic revenges do not take place.

by: NVO from: USA

May 01, 2013 10:14 AM

The administration has already sent well over half a billion dollars in aid to such groups, while the CIA has overseen “a secret airlift of arms and equipment” to rebels since early 2012, according to the New York Times.

The very insurgents who Obama now plans to arm with lethal weaponry have openly espoused their radical anti-American agenda as they ransack Christian churches, burn US flags, chant anti-American slogans and sing the praises of Osama Bin Laden while glorifying the 9/11 attacks.

The same rebels set to receive weapons courtesy of US taxpayers have also made clear their intention to fly the Al-Qaeda flag over the White House.

In arming Al-Qaeda terrorists in Syria, Obama is clearly committing an impeachable offense by empowering America’s enemies, repeating the process that unfolded in Libya, where the arming of jihadists in the effort to overthrow Colonel Gaddafi led to the attack on the US consulate carried out by some of the very same NATO-backed insurgents.

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

At this year's annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, some musicians from Mali were on hand to promote a film about how their lives were upturned by jihadists who destroyed ancient treasures in the city of Timbuktu and prohibited anyone from playing music under threat of death. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Austin, some are afraid to return to their hometowns even though the jihadists are no longer in control there.

Video

American warplanes joined Iraq's battle against the so-called 'Islamic State' in northern Iraq late Wednesday, as Iraqi ground troops launched a massive assault on Tikrit. Analysts say the offensive could take the coalition a step further towards Mosul, the largest city held by Islamic State forces. Others say it could also deepen already-dangerous sectarian tensions in the region. VOA's Heather Murdock has more from Cairo.

Video

Tourism is a multi-billion dollar industry in the Philippines. Close to five million foreign visitors traveled there last year, perhaps lured by the country’s tropical beaches. But Jason Strother reports from Manila that the country hopes to entice more travelers to stay indoors and spend money inside new casinos.

Video

The continued fighting in eastern Ukraine and the shelling of civilian neighborhoods seem to be pushing more men to join the separatist fighters. Many of the new recruits are residents of Ukraine made bitter by new grievances, as well as old. VOA's Patrick Wells reports.

Video

Islamic State fighter, a prisoner of Kurdish YPG forces, asked his family asking for forgiveness: "I destroyed myself and I destroyed them along with me." The Syrian youth was one of two detainees who spoke to VOA’s Kurdish Service about the path they chose; their names have been changed and identifying details obscured. VOA's Zana Omer reports.

Video

More is being discovered about the co-pilot in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in the French Alps. Investigators say he was hiding a medical condition, raising questions about the mental qualifications of pilots. VOA's Carolyn Presutti reports.

Video

In cities with heavily congested traffic, people can get around much faster on a motorcycle than in a car. But a rider who is not sure of his route may have to stop to look at the map or consult a GPS. A Russian start-up company is working to make navigation easier for motorcyclists. Designers at Moscow-based LiveMap are developing a smart helmet with a built-in navigation system, head-mounted display and voice recognition. Zlatica Hoke has more.

Video

U.S. federal law enforcement agents arrested two suburban Chicago men accused of trying to join ISIS overseas, while also plotting attacks in the United States. As VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports from the Midwest state of Illinois, one of those arrested is a soldier of the Illinois National Guard.

Video

Traditional push-rim wheelchairs create a lot of stress for arm, shoulder and neck muscles and joints. A redesigned chair, based on readily available bicycle technology, radically increases mobility while reducing the physical effort. VOA’s George Putic reports.

Video

Beatrice Yardolo was to make history as Liberia’s last Ebola patient. Liberians recently started counting down 42 days, the period that has to go by without a single new infection until the World Health Organization can declare a country Ebola-free. That countdown stopped on March 20 when there was another new case of Ebola, making Yardolo’s story a reminder that Ebola is far from over. Benno Muchler reports from Monrovia.

Video

Indigenous communities in Cambodia's Ratanakiri province say the government’s economic land concession policy is taking away their land and traditional way of life, making many fear that their identity will soon be lost. Local authorities, though, have denied this is the case. VOA's Say Mony went to investigate and filed this report, narrated by Colin Lovett.

Video

One of the films that drew big crowds last week at the annual South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, tells the story of the last human being to stand on the moon, U.S. astronaut Eugene Cernan. It has been 42 years since Cernan returned from the moon and he laments that no one else has gone there since. VOA’s Greg Flakus reports.